He-Man: The Eternity War #1
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Pop Mhan
Cover: Stjepan Sejic
When Hordak’s Horde arrived on Eternia, he accomplished more than Skeletor ever did over the years. His soldiers dominated the planet, took Castle Grayskull, and have the heroes on the run. Now, with Hordak receiving the final piece needed, he can now assume his physical form and lead his armies across Eternia.
For anyone who has not been reading the Masters of the Universe series, Abnett has made sure to provide a comfortable starting point while moving the plot ahead. He also raises the stakes by adding some more context to the mystery surrounding Castle Grayskull, making the overall story much more than just two armies battling it out, which can be fun but we’ve seen that a few times here already. Though for many who have been keeping up with the series, you might find much of Teela’s recap a bit repetitive. What does keep it fresh is the revelation of what Hordak is actually looking for, and the skirmish between Man-at-Arms and some Snake Men.
Pop Mhan’s artwork seems strongest at the beginning and ending of this issue. This isn’t saying the rest is sub par, but somewhere along the way it looses some of its luster. There are times when He-Man is a hulking brute, while in other panels his dimensions are smaller and uneven. This tends to make him look quite silly instead of the intimidating hero he is. However, there’s a fantastic looking page where Hordak has crafted his weapon and the energy is just shooting throughout Grayskull. Mark Roberts’s colors definitely make that scene stand out, along with the final shot of Skeletor which looks amazing! Seeing this level of quality makes you really want the entire book to look this good.
Abnett has been taking the Masters of the Universe mythos and making it a richer and more exciting experience to read. The changes that have been made have actually enhanced the story and made this title one of DC’s best. Any preconceived notions about these characters should be thrown out, because they definitely aren’t classic 80s interpretations. There’s a serious approach to these heroes and villains, and Abnett is on track to make The Eternity War worth reading and waiting for since the series began!
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